Reversible wrench



Nov. 8, 1966 H. A. WILSON 3,283,622

REVERS IBLE WRENCH Filed May 5, 1965 INVENTOR.

MLsoN I United States Patent 3,283,622 REVERSIBLE WRENCH Henry A. Wilson, 1000 Eldorado Ave., Clearwater Beach, Fla.

Filed May 3, 1965, Ser. No. 452,531 7 Claims. (Cl. 8158.3)

My invention relates to improvements in a reversely operable, non-ratcheting wrench and to a manually operable releasing and connecting means therefor during normal use thereof.

More particularly my invention relates to a new type of reversible socket wrench having a quick and reliable releasing means, whereby the handle of such wrench may be quickly and easily swung back and forth for continuous rotation of a nut or bolt in either of two directions and without requiring relative axial movement of the operating parts of the wrench.

The wrench operating handle and its attached socket wrench driver head of this invention, while adapted to be freely oscillated back and forth as required, are fixed against usual relative axial movements in performing this reversing operation of the handle and head. It is thus capable of uses in cramped and unusually crowded places for operations where relative axial separating movement of the handle and its head are impossible.

An object of this invention therefore is the provision of a compact tool of the class described operable in either of two directions and having a manually operable clutch means which is readily releasable whenever required after moving the handle in one direction for like or partial movement of the handle in the reverse direction.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a socket driving head having as a normally extending part thereof an operating handle, the handle and its head including separately operable, but positively acting clutch means for positively locking the two together for a required operation in either forward or revere directions.

The above and other objects will become apparent in consideration of the following specification taken with the accompanying drawings which together comprise a complete and desired disclosure of this invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is an exploded axonometric view of the improved socket wrench;

FIG. 2 is a side view, with parts in section showing the positive locking clutch means in operative position; and

FIG. 3 is a similar view showing the disengagement of the positive locking means, without requiring relative axial movement of the wrench head and its operating handle.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 to 3, wherein like parts are represented by like characters of reference, numeral denotes the socket driver tool as a whole, which includes a main handle 11, having a fixed block or rigid end head portion 12. The head portion 12 may be substantially circular in section as shown, or otherwise it and the handle 11 may be forged or formed from a single blank of suitable metal. The head portion 12 is shown hollowed out or chambered as at 13, which is provided at the upper end, as shown, with cast in rigid internal sprocket or gear-type clutch element 14, having an annular series of radial teeth 15. This fixed clutch element surrounds a central opening 16, through the upper end of the head 12, now to be described.

Above this fixed clutch element 14 and surrounding the opening 16 there is provided an inwardly projecting annular flange 17. A knob 11 having a ball-like upper end portion 18, is provided with a depending substantially cylindrical neck or skirt portion 19. This neck or skirt portion 19 is formed with an annular undercut portion 20, leaving a reduced downwardly projecting neck portion 21, which is rotatively received in the annular openice ing 16, surrounded by the flange 17. The knob 11 is rotatably attached to the flange 17 in the opening 16 by upsetting this projecting end portion 21, to form the outturned flange 22, firmly but rotatively engaging under the flange 17 The knob 11 has an axial bore 23, which accommodates a manually operable tubular sleeve 24, slidably mounted in the bore 23, and having a closed top or end portion 25 which normally projects above the knob, as shown in FIG. 2, so as to be readily engaged and depressed by the thumb of the operator. An annular radial bottom flange 26 is provided at the lower end of the sleeve to underlie the flange 22. The end block or head portion 12, is also slightly recessed outside of the chamber 13, its bottom face 27, as at 28, to receive a bottom cover plate 29. The recessed portion 28 is provided with a plurality of threaded openings 30, FIG. 1, and the bottom cover plate 29 has registering holes 31 to receive machine screws 32, for retaining the cover plate in position in said recess 28. An opening 33 is provided in the center of the bottom plate 29, to receive a rotatable drive member 34. This drive member 34 includes an upper driven stem 35, shown as a square in cross section, and a similar lower driving stem portion 36, also shown as square in cross section. The portion 35 may, of course, be splined or of any non-circular cross section, and 36 may have a section corresponding with the particular socket system with which it is to be used. In order to be freely rotatable, however, without axial movement thereof, a radial integral flange or washer 37, is fixed to the central portion of the drive member 34, between the shaft portions 35 and 36 which are square and rotatively engage the under side of the bottom cover plate 29. A cylindrical bushing 38 is formed above the flange 37, and is of a diameter to fit rotatably in the opening 33. This bushing 38 has an annular groove 39, to receive a spring retainer or lock washer 40 in well known manner. Surrounding the upper portion of the bushing 38 is a helical spring 41, which extends a short distance upwardly along the stem 35.

An independently movable sprocket gear-shaped clutch member 42, having radial teeth 43, of slightly less dimensions than that of the fixed gear shaped clutch member 14, is provided with a central square opening 44 to slidably receive the square stem portion 35. This movable clutch member 42 is normally forced and held into driving engagement with the fixed clutch member 14, by the biasing action of the spring 41. The radial flange 26 of the sleeve 24 abuts and rests on the upper face of the movable clutch member 42 as in the operative positions shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. The lower drive member may be provided with a readily separable wrench end attaching means such as the usual spring pressed type ball holding member 45, for releasably holding a required size of socket head 46, of known type as shown in FIG. 2.

To permit the handle 11, of the socket drive member 34, to execute a non-ratcheting return stroke therefor, the clutch operating sleeve 24 is merely manually pressed downwardly as shown by the arrow 47, in FIG. 3. As the flange 26 normally bears on the movable clutch member 42, this clutch member may be readily urged against the force of the spring 41, to effect disengagement of the movable clutch member 42, from within the gear shaped clutch member 14. The handle 11 may then be freely rotated in either direction, i.e., to a new starting position, whereupon release of the sleeve 24 will permit engagement of the relatively movable clutch members 14 and 42 which cooperate to provide a positive interlock for operating a socket member 46 such as is shown in FIG. 2, to turn a nut, bolt or stud in a usual manner.

This invention is believed to be an important improvement over known prior art devices such as are shown for instance in the patent to Packard, No. 2,603,325, issued July 15, 1952, and the patent to Eaves, No. 2,667,801, issued Feb. 2, 1954, in both of which prior art type devices relative axial movementis necessary in order to engage and/or release the driving relationship between the handle and a nut or bolt-engaging socket wrench head.

Having now described my invention in a preferred form, I desire it to be understood that various changes and modifications may be made within the skill of the art and the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a non-ratcheting reversible socket wrench operating tool having an operating handle and a rigid head fixed with respect thereto, a relatively rotatable driving member journaled axially in said head and fixed against relative axial movement, a clutch element rotatable with said driving member and slidably mounted thereon, and manually operable means carried by said head and engaging said clutch element to slidably move same on said driving member into and out of engagement with said head, whereby to continuously rotate said driving member in either forward or reverse directions by said handle without relative axial movement of said handle and driving member.

2. The structure defined in claim 1, wherein a freely rotatable nob is carried on said head and in axial alignment with said driving member.

3. The structure as defined in claim 2, wherein said nob has an axial bore and said manual clutch operating means is slidably mounted in said bore and operatively engages said clutch element.

4. The structure as defined in claim 3, wherein spring means is also mounted in said head to also engage said clutch element and normally hold same in rigid engagement with said head.

5. The structure as defined in claim 4, wherein a closure plate on one side of said head supports said driving member, spring, clutch and manual operating means in axial alignment with the bore in said nob on the opposite side of said head.

6. The structure as defined in claim 5, wherein said driving member is journaled in said closure plate and said spring is compressed between said closure plate and the clutch element surrounding said driving member.

7. The structure as defined in claim 6, wherein said manual operating means comprises a tubular sleeve slidably mounted in said nob and surrounding said driving member.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 982,886 1/1911 Servatius 8l58.3 1,047,634 12/1912 Holfmann 81-583 1,299,764 4/1919 Normoyle 8 15 8.3

WILLIAM FELDMAN, Primary Examiner.

JAMES L. JONES, JR., Examiner. 

1. IN A NON-RATCHETING REVERSIBLE SOCKET WRENCH OPERATING TOOL HAVING AN OPERATING HANDLE AND A RIGID HEAD FIXED WITH RESPECT THERETO, A RELATIVELY ROTATABLE DRIVING MEMBER JOURNALED AXIALLY IN SAID HEAD AND FIXED AGAINST RELATIVE AXIAL MOVEMENT, A CLUTCH ELEMENT ROTATABLE WITH SAID DRIVING MEMBER AND SLIDABLY MOUNTED THEREON, AND MANUALLY OPERABLE MEAN CARRIED BY SAID HEAD AND ENGAGING SAID CLUTCH ELEMENT TO SLIDABLY MOVE SAME ON SAID DRIVING MEMBER INTO AND OUT OF ENGGEMENT WITH SAID HEAD, WHEREBY TO CONTINUOUSLY ROTATE SAID DRIVING MEMBER IN EITHER FORARD OR REVERSE DIRECTIONS BY SAID HANDLE WITHOUT RELATIVE AXIAL MOVEMENT OF SAID HANDLE AND DRIVING MEMBER. 